Elias Taiseer / Oud&Violin Virtuoso

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A master of both Eastern and Western music, oud and violin artist Taiseer Elias performs worldwide. He is founder/conductor of the first Orchestra of classical Arabic Music in Israel, and currently the conductor of the Arab-Jewish orchestra of the JMAD & the Music center in Jerusalem. Elias has recorded with a number of ensmbles including White Bird, Bustan Abraham, Ziryab Trio (of which he is the musical director) and others. He has also composed music for theater and film.

Elias has performed works by Vivaldi, Bach and Pagnini with the Haifa Orchestra as well as works by contemporary American and Israeli composers, most notably Menachem Wiesenberg, Michael Wolpe, Miriam Gerberg who have composed concertos for oud and orchestra especially for him. (and the American composer Joel Hoffman who is writing a double concerto for Oud, cello & symphonic orchestra which will be performed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in March, 2008).

Prof. Elias has also appeared with the Camerata Orchestra, conducted by Avner Biron, at the Lille Festival in France where they performed the Concertino for Oud, Piano and Chamber Orchestra written by Menachem Wiesenberg. He has also toured the United States with a trio (oud, piano, and cello) performing traditional as well as original compositions written for them by Menachem Wiesenberg. In addition he has performed solo concerts with the best orchestras in Israel and abroad.

In 1995 Mr. Elias was a guest artist of the legendary Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia during a concert tour in Israel. He has written a composition for Bustan Abraham which was recorded with the participation of world-renowned classical Indian artists Zakir Hussein and Hariprasad Chauarsia.

Among his other activities Prof. Elias is musical director of several programs for the Israeli Television network, director of Arabic music programming for the Voice of Israel Radio and serves on various artistic committees including Art for People, The Rabinovitch Foundation, The Abraham Foundatuon, The Public Committee for Arts and Culture and The Music Institute.

In addition Prof. Elias is the head of Eastern Music Department at the prestigious Rubin Academy in Jerusalem where he also lectures; a Professor in the Musicology Dept. at Bar Ilan University; the director of the Arab music education in the Education Ministry in Israel. The leading figure in classical Arabic music in Israel, Prof. Elias is considered by professional critics, both in Israel and abroad, to be the one of the most impressive and moving musician to emerge from the Arab world in recent years.

He is, without doubt, one of the foremost Middle Eastern musicians of our time.

Excerpts from Reviews

1) "... vitruoso Taiseer Elias. A name to watch out for, Elias is one of the most impressive musicians to emerge in the Arabic world in recent years.Classical Arabic music has traditionally failed to impress many people outside the Arab world, but this was a performance to rank among the best anywhere. Like a modern Paganini, Elias' playing was fast, furious, and techically superb. Anyone who doubts the merits of Arabic classical music will find his or her argument difficult to sustain, in the light of this man's brilliance."

Mohammad HijaziBill Board, 1995

2) "… Today, he is masterful performer of Arabic music on Oud and violin, … Elias is responsible for revitalizing and elevating the standard of Arabic music in Israel, a repertoire which had been performed by Jews from Arab countries and by … Arab musicians. It is not difficult to imagine the breadth of Elias's contribution both as a composer and improviser."

Esther Warkov,The Jewish Transcript, 2000.

3) " … in the case of Elias's brilliantly improvised variations on the "Beautiful Girl," the instrumental technique and style of music was highly virtuosic."

Joseph McLellan, The Washington Post, 1997.

4) "… Taiseer Elias is a great master of the violin and the Oud. His faultless knowledge of western technique, blended with a profound eastern sensitivity, bestow on his playing a fascinating subtlety. His first piece … was an extraordinary example of erudite arabic music which succeeded in taking the audience on a journey through the centuries - old culture of entire people."

Theatre du Rond-Point, March 27, Paris

5) "… Elias …. Is a virtuoso on the Oud. He achieves a degree of precision and cleanness of tone rarely heard on this stringed instrument.In improvisations on particular makamat, he displays a wide spectrum of moods and rhythms that refute the contention that Arabic music is a sleeping potion."

Dani Blaustein, November 17, Haaretz

6) "… Taiseer Elias is one of the best Oud Players in the World..."

Shosh Gabai, July 25, Hadashot

7) " Taiseer Elias … is condidered to be one of the best Oud and violin players in middle east."

Israel Festival, 1990

8) "… Taiseer Elias, the director, is not only a virtuoso in frightening levels, but he knows also to tell interesting things about the music he plays."

Ben Shalev November 11, Hai`eer

9) " Elias is one of the best Oud players, if not the best, in the middle east …tomorrow he will display his superb technique of playing on Oud in a variety of compositions that he composed."

Shai Lahav, November 24, Maariv

10) " Prof. Elias …. among the best oud & violin performers in the entire middle east ….. his fabulous improvisation takes you into a long journey of the deepness of the human history…."

November, 2006, The "Internationl Oud Festival" Jerusalem